HC Deb 21 December 1983 vol 51 cc224-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each of the past 10 years and at the latest available date the quantity of surplus commodities in stock under the common agricultural policy in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the European Economic Community as a whole together with the cost of storage in terms of pound sterling at 1983 prices and the current exchange rate against the European currency unit.

Mr. MacGregor

Information is set out in the following tables. However, that necessary to value past storage operations at 1983 sterling rates of expenditure is not readily available and the calculations could be done only at disproportionate cost.

1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
Skimmed milk powder EC 166 365 1,112 1,135 965 674 227 230 286 567 1,017 (as at 24 November 1983)
UK 28 29 28 9 81 60 2 3 30 96 214 (as at 24 November 1983)
Wheat EC na na 1,799 1,377 981 1,053 1,821 4,914 2,978 6,300 6,199 (as at 25 November 1983)
UK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 87 79 275 183 (as at 25 November 1983)
Barley EC na na 523 210 64 177 69 1,086 740 1,625 1,252 (as at 25 November 1983)
UK 0 0 0 0 0 21 0 533 363 1,163 659 (as at 25 November 1983)
Rye EC na na 264 161 422 597 549 513 321 293 301 (as at 25 November 1983)
UK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (as at 25 November 1983)
Durum EC na na 67 365 212 141 143 157 307 771 724 (as at 25 November 1983)
UK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (as at 25 November 1983)
Beef EC 22 253 252 262 323 208 275 302 181 203 359 (as at 31 October 1983)
UK 0 0 1 7 13 15 11 26 11 12 13 (as at 30 October 1983)
Olive Oil EC na na na na na 99 63 67 132 166 98 (as at 30 November 1983)
UK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (as at 31 November 1983)
Oilseeds EC na na na 8 1 0 1 92 19 37 0 (as at 30 November 1983)
UK 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 0 (as at 30 November 1983)

Table 2
Common agricultural policy expenditure on public storage intervention
£ million
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Cereals EC (£ million) n/a n/a 36.0 73.5 34.3 39.4 57.7 122.1 190.3 212.0
United Kingdom nil nil nil nil nil 0.1 (−0.2) 6.4 35.2 36.9
Olive oil EC (£ million) n/a nil n/a 5.3 2.7 20.5 14.7 12.4 28.4 31.4
United Kingdom nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil
Oilseeds EC (£ million) n/a n/a — — — — 0.2 5.4 −3.0 −0.2
United Kingdom nil nil nil — nil nil — 0.1 (−0.1) —
Milk products EC (£ million) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 747.6 491.9 246.3 119.5 133.0
United Kingdom 0.9 (−1.8) 0.3 13.2 7.4 41.7 34.8 23.1 10.4 21.8
Beef EC (£ million) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 250.3 245.3 281.8 211.7 182.3
United Kingdom nil — 0.2 1.2 1.3 7.2 4.9 16.5 10.5 4.7
Total EC (£ million) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,057.8 809.8 668.0 546.9 558.5
United Kingdom 0.9 (−1.8) 0.5 14.4 8.7 49.0 39.5 46.1 56.0 63.4
Exchange rate: 1 ecu=£ 0.502321 0.509803 0.560026 0.621578 0.653701 0.663759 0.649236 0.60554 0.556891 0.557801

Notes:

(a) Sources: Total EC figures from EC Commission Financial Reports.

United Kingom figures supplied by Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.

(b) Public storage intervention covers net losses incurred on sales as well as the technical and financial costs of storing products in intervention.

(c) Figures for cereals exclude end of season carry-over payments.

(d) n/a=not available.

(e) Dash indicates amount lower than 0.1.

(f) Costs are quoted in money terms; conversions from European currency units (ecus) to sterling are made at the average rates for the year in question. For 1978 and earlier years conversions take account of the different values of the unit of account and the ecu.